Spend the afternoon relaxing by the lake

Enjoy our beautiful scenic gardens

The Lakeside Blog springs forth from the creative mind of Michelle Bruck at the Interlaken Inn, Lakeville, CT. She writes about events, great places to visit and cool things to do – in and around Lakeville & Salisbury Connecticut.

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June

29

2011

Lighten things up!

On Mondays, that is! I wanted to let you know of a change in our menu in Morgan's for the rest of the season, and perhaps beyond!

We are offering a lighter fare for your tastebud enjoyment. The hours are the same (5pm to 9pm) and the bar is fully stocked and ready to go as usual. The new menu consists of the following:

This COMFORT FOOD item of our menu will change weekly, but whatever it is it will be sure to comfort you! Dinners you remember having as a child. Last week we offered a Roasted Organic Half Chicken with mashed potatoes and haricot vert (aka green beans), and this week we offered Southern Fried Chicken with coleslaw and french fries. I'm holding out for homemade macaroni and cheese!

Lighten up with us by dining on Monday nights!

June

24

2011

School's out - Summer vacation, here I come!

Well, not for me, but certainly for my kids! As my daughters finish up their last day of school today, I can’t help but feel a little nostalgic – back to the days of being their age and having that wonderful feeling of the whole summer ahead of me. My “Guest friend” Cindy and I were talking about this the other day, remembering that feeling on the very last day of school, and feeling it again by sleeping late many mornings after. I can only feel that emotion through my children, and I’m happy to live it through them at this point! As we make lists of what we want to do this summer, I thought I might share how you and your children can enjoy a couple of days of summer at Interlaken!

Although my girls would find the pool and the lake at Interlaken as certainly enough fun, I realize that you may be looking for a bit more than that. In addition to swimming and boating, we also have tennis courts, a basketball court, a game room, and a DVD library with a large choice of family movies. All of our rooms have LCD TV’s with a built-in DVD player for your watching pleasure!

If you wish to venture into the local area, let me make some kid friendly recommendations:

Miniature golf & batting cages, soft serve.

Action Wildlife.

Millbrook Zoo.

Biking on the Harlem Valley Rail Trail.

Robin’s Candy Store!

Explore an aerial forest ropes course at Catamount Adventure Park.

Hiking to Lion's Head (short hike, great views).

Cosmic bowling at the Cove.

Bash Bish Falls.

Horseback Riding through the Litchfield Hills.

If you want more information about any of these activities, just give us a call and we'd be happy to plan a whole day of fun for you and your summer vacationing children!

June

21

2011

Flower Power!

WOW. This is what I said when I arrived at the Inn today. I said it as soon as I saw all of the parked cars, traffic being directed, boxes being carried in, vases and watering buckets, and greenery, greenery and more greenery!

I said WOW again when I walked into the building. I wish I could do a "scratch and sniff" right here so you could smell what I smelled as soon as I opened the door. It was like sweet Earth. A greenhouse scent with sugar on top. And I am fortunate enough to smell this for the next couple of days!

I said WOW one more time when I walked into the meeting room where the Flower Show was taking place. Talk about eye candy! (you've probably figured at this point that I do love flowers). I admire flowers and shrubs of all kinds where ever I go, so to have such unique displays right at my fingertips, well instead of saying WOW again, let's say LUCKY ME! My favorite was the "Breakfast in Bed" category - tea cup and all! In addition to the flower show, participants can enjoy self-guided Lake Nature walks, boutique shopping on-site, tours of Connecticut and New York gardens, roundtable discussions, award ceremonies and plenty of meals through-out the three day event.

OK, what group is here, you probably want to know, right? I have been looking forward to this week for quite some time - it's the week that Millbrook Garden Club is hosting "Country Life" - a GCA Zone III Flower show. I have been here for many years and have seen many groups come for many reasons - scrapbookers, quilters, wood carving, bridge, men's club, religious retreats - but for me this one is a first! It just goes to show you how versatile the meeting space we have is. The Interlaken property certainly compliments the Garden Club's activities by surrounding the buildings with such pretty gardens maintained by Salisbury Garden Center. There are flowers all over the place - I love it! What a way to start the official first day of summer!

Give Kristy Barto, our Corporate and Retreat Sales Manager, a call to talk about what event you can host at the Interlaken!

P.S. Want to see what I am seeing? The boutique is open to the public Thursday, June 23rd from 8am to 12pm!

June

17

2011

Interlaken Chit Chat

Today I thought I'd share with you some of the wonderful comments I received back from our Guests about their recent stay at Interlaken!

Appreciated how helpful everyone was at reservations, checkin, etc.

My room was lovely and clean.

It was almost like going ‘home’ as we had the whole house to ourselves most of the time.

My stay with you folks was wonderful.

Nothing was a problem and everything was done with true sincerity to please the customer. EXCELLENT!

Our room was great - loved the little screened in porch - too bad we didn't have time to use it...maybe next time!

The wedding dinner was wonderful! Kudos to the kitchen!!!!

Staff is friendly, responsive, and knowledgeable.

We had such a wonderful weekend at Interlaken sharing our friend’s wedding. What a wonderful location, it was very unique and we will definitely have very special memories of our stay.

We had a great stay - as always!! 215 is like going to our 2nd home!! It's great that we can get our car/trailer in the parking area there also.

The rooms were comfortable and well decorated.

I loved my room and all the wedding events and I would definitely come again.

We could not have been happier with our wonderful suite and look forward to coming again.

The food at the Audi Club banquet was very good and your staff was delightful.

Everything was great. I would be happy to come back if I am in the area

Food was surprisingly good at restaurant.

We especially enjoyed using the canoes on the lake.

Breakfast was good and the restaurant staff was attentive.

I stay at Interlaken Inn every time I do a Porsche Club Drivers Ed day at Lime Rock. Plan to do it a lot more times.

My stay with you folks was wonderful. I’m looking forward to coming up again.

I highly recommend the Interlaken.

Come stay with us so you can share your comments with me too!

June

14

2011

An unsunny day

Even though all my pictures usually show blue sky and sunny days, let's be realistic here - there are rainy days at Interlaken. Today is one of them.

No worries! We can turn your outdoor plans into indoor plans until the rain moves out of here! Save your gas and keep your car parked as we can keep you busy right on property. Relax with a deep tissue massage at ELLORA Spa and Sanctuary. Rent a movie from our complimentary DVD library in our main lobby. Visit our Executive Lounge area for lots of indoor fun!

Challenge your significant other to a game of pool, ping pong or air hockey.

Relax with a book from our extensive library.

Or play a board game at one of our card tables.

Do you wish to head out and visit the local area?

Tea taste over at Harney and Sons Fine Teas in neighboring Millerton, NY. Try their "tea of the moment", most likely a tea you've never had before. Shop for tea accessories in their gift store. Do a little antique shopping on Main Street, and stop at Kamilla's Flower Boutique to see "more than just flowers".

Head to the Berkshires and visit the Norman Rockwell Museum, open daily from 10am to 5pm. Learn about Mr. Rockwell's life and view his many famous illustrations. While in the area, enjoy some retail therapy at the Lee Prime Outlets, or swing by the center of Great Barrington for some unique shopping experiences. Strike out at the Cove Bowling Lanes right on Route 7.

Bring home a souvenir for your favorite pup by stopping at Petpourri in Lakeville, CT. Head across the street and visit The White Gallery to see more of David Dunlop's amazing work. I say "more" because if you've noticed the amazing artwork in our lobby, you've already seen his work! Amazing is an understatement, I might add!

After your day out, remember to end it with a terrific meal prepared by the Interlaken Chefs at Morgan's!

June

9

2011

Time for a Dip!

On a steamy hot day in the summer - or like today in New England - a consistent refreshing activity is always a dip into the POOL!

Ours is ready to go and has had many visitors this week! I wandered out earlier, hoping I would feel refreshed just looking at it, and sure enough, I was. The blue water is crystal clear - well, the water isn't really "blue" of course, but it is crystal clear!

The low end is 3 feet deep and the deep end is 9 feet. There are plenty of chaise lounges around the pool, along with colorful flowers and pretty shrubbery for privacy from the distant buildings that surround the courtyard area.

We have umbrellas also to provide some shade as necessary. There are plenty of towels at the pool (Geoff will be happy to hear this!), so there's no need to bring any from your room, or from your home for that matter!There is also a vending machine right there offering cold drinks of Dasani water and Vitamin water. The restaurant is a short walk from the pool if you are in need of a bite to eat! Looks like we've got you covered - just a little SPF and you are good to go!

June

8

2011

A RIVER runs through IT

"IT" being the beautiful countryside of the Litchfield Hills, and the "RIVER" being the Houstaonic River!

I usually head North on Route 7 as I head out from Interlaken, but the other day special plans brought me down to Cornwall, so I headed South on Route 7 instead. Well, I must say - what a pretty ride it was! You actually "hug" the mountainside while driving through thick shady trees, so lush and green, and for many miles the river runs right alongside you. It was a bright sunny day and the river was just sparkling! I wanted to stop the car and jump in! (OK, maybe just dip my toes in!). I am always talking about water, but referencing our lakefront, so I thought it would be nice to still talk about water and reference the beautiful Housatonic River instead!

You can actually paddle 10 miles of this river by simply visiting Clarke Outdoors in West Cornwall, CT, right on Route 7, just 10 minutes away from the Interlaken. You can either rent a canoe, kayak or a raft for your adventure out on the water. Your wet journey will begin in Falls Village (transported by van) and then end at the Housatonic Meadows Picnic area. Halfway through you will go under the historic Cornwall Bridge,and you can stop and either picnic there or find a nice place for lunch in the little village. Bring your camera (waterproof is recommended!) as there will be many places along the way to take some amazing nature shots. This is definitely on my agenda this summer with my family, be sure to put it on yours too!

June

2

2011

Golf X 7

Interlaken is fortunate enough to have not just a couple of golf courses nearby, but, yup, count 'em - 7! I am not a golfer, but if I was and came to Interlaken I'd think I was in golf heaven! Over the course of a long weekend it would be possible to play a round at all seven of them! Each course is listed in more detail on our website - so click here for more specifics.

One course we recommend highly (and not just because it's right next door to the Interlaken, within walking distance) is the Hotchkiss Golf Course. This semi-private 9 hole course is certainly lovely to drive by each day, so I would be confident to say it's an equally wonderful course to play! I asked someone who plays there often (but not often enough of course!) and here are his thoughts about Hotchkiss Golf Course:

"It's such a peaceful course surrounded by such a historic facility (Hotchkiss School). Whether you are playing the fourth hole looking out at the beautiful music auditorium, or seeing the breathtaking views of Lake Wononscopomuc on the sixth hole, or being challenged by the ninth hole (which he happens to think is one of the most difficult in all of Connecticut), Hotchkiss Golf Course is a course not to miss. Mr. Kennedy who runs the center is a real pro and a knowledgable Lakeville resident."

Golf, anyone?

June

1

2011

Summer Fun is coming!

For anyone who spent their holiday weekend here with us at Interlaken, either taking a refreshing swim in the outdoor pool or kayaking at the lake, you couldn't help but feel SUMMER in the air! The sun was bright and hot each day, the sky was blue with puffs of clouds, and the temperature couldn't have been more summer-like! Honestly, it was such a pleasure to get a jump on the season like this since Mr. Winter hung around New England way longer than preferred! Anyway, who wants to talk about winter anymore? Since Memorial Day is the "official" kick-off to the summer for Interlaken, I thought it would be fun in my next several blogs to give you a taste of what happens around here in the quickly approaching "official" summer season!

Everyone needs to take the time to visit this charming summer theater over in Sharon, CT. You will be amazed at the talent that comes from this 300 seat air-conditioned building that has been home to Tri-Arts since 2003. There are shows to fit the entire family for a pleasant afternoon or evening out! Each year, the shows are fabulous, and this year is no exception! The featured shows are:

42nd Street - June 23rd to July 10th

RENT - July 15th to July 24th

Hairspray - August 4th to August 21st

There are also some other shows during the season, one being DIVAS DO THE RED CARPET. Interlaken is a proud sponsor of this show running at the end of August.

Now remember that Morgan's Restaurant is open for a bite to eat either before or after the show! Tri-Arts Theater is just 10 minutes away from the Interlaken property.